The present invention relates to a multiple sectioned book especially useful as an interactive book for children which has a plurality of independently openable sections, that may be related in content or storyline.
Books, and especially picture books, have always been useful and very instrumental for both teaching and entertaining children. Books with varying parts that combine to form a whole story or picture are well known in the literary art. As an example, a hinged children""s book is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,574 to Kobayashi. The Kobayashi book has a succession of partial scenes on hingedly connected fold-out panels, which, when deployed, reveal a completed picture. As another example, a book with partial page portions that can be independently turned is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,503 to Shapiro. The partial pages of the Shapiro book depict incomplete parts of words and are meant to be combined to create whole words. However, neither book describes or has multiple bindings employed in such a way that any particular section can be independently opened to enable the reader to view and read easily and conveniently the entire contents within each section as selected, which may or may not be parts of a whole.
Other exemplary prior art disclosures are:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,816 to Sarid describes a foldable structure that consists of a rectangular continuous strip having at least twelve squares flexibly hinged together and arranged in parallel rows and columns relative to the top and bottom edges of the strip. Each square is bisected by a diagonal and the two triangular halves of each of said squares is especially adapted for displacement with relation to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,244 to Busing describes a solid geometrical puzzle having a plurality of components each of which is hinged along two edges to neighboring components. The assembly is such that it may be folded along various hinge lines to form many regular and irregular geometric shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,989 to Gidwani, describes a folding device for use as a toy, puzzle, and/or game, having a plurality of like polygonal components, each component having a pair of symmetrically arranged, mirror segments, which are interconnected along a common hinge. The segments have especially related sides and hinges to form unique components and interconnecting polygonal components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,980 to Bigler comprises a folding apparatus and processes for educating and entertaining persons. The apparatus comprises one or more sheets with cuts, slits, or slots through which cards or strips are woven to give a foldable device. The invention includes an apparatus to give special effects by folding and processes for the manufacture and use of such apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,219 to Miller describes an apparatus and method for teaching reading skills using a storyboard having sentences imprinted thereon and having at least one missing word. There are words stored at a remote location. The child is then taught to select a word from the remote location and by various means can verify and confirm the meaning of the word and its relationship and suitability for use in the missing location.
However, none of the prior art references teach or suggest a book having multiple connected sections, each section having its own binding, thereby enabling a particular section to be independently opened to view and to read the separate sections.